Various plant extracts and/or concentrates are known which are recognized as having beneficial health properties, yet often, many of these are rarely used or if used, are not taken consistently so that levels in the body are not maintained at the optimum levels. This may also occur with vitamins, plant and mineral supplements, amino acids, etc., collectively referred to herein as “nutraceuticals”. Consequently, a large segment of the population has failed to achieve the health benefits associated with nutraceuticals in general.
One major reason appears to be the delivery system. For example, many nutraceuticals have a bitter or unpleasant taste, leave an after taste, or are too medicinal, being in pill, tablet or capsule form, which many individuals simply object to consuming.
Efforts have been made to incorporate various nutraceuticals into foods or beverages, with some limited success. However, the amounts of these beneficial nutraceutical ingredients are typically very low relative to what one must consume. This requires consumption of rather large food or beverage items, relative to the quantity of the beneficial ingredient.
In a food or beverage, it is common to try to mask any off flavor or after taste by the use of sweeteners. These increase the caloric intake, and can alter the glycemic index, and so counter the beneficial effects sought by consuming these products.
What is needed is a system for delivering nutraceuticals in a vehicle that is flavorful, not a pill, tablet, capsule or other medicinal form, yet one having a relatively high concentration of the nutraceutical relative to the vehicle amount, and additionally, a system which avoids the use of caloric sweeteners, such as sucrose, or high fructose corn syrup.